Cleveland, OH – The University of the Cumberlands athletic department has established a culture of comprehensive success, which has led to the Patriots winning their second straight NAIA Learfield Directors' Cup, it was announced Tuesday afternoon. The Patriots had 22 NAIA teams qualify for national championships and tallied 1,014 points, becoming the first NAIA Team to score over 1,000 points since the award began in the 1995-96 season.

The Patriots become the just the sixth NAIA school to win multiple Learfield Directors' Cup and the first school to win it in back-to-back years since Oklahoma City won it three consecutive years from 2017-2019. UC is also just the second active NAIA school with multiple Directors' Cup. 

"I'm so proud of our coaches, staff, and student-athletes! Being only the sixth NAIA school to win multiple Learfield Cups is a huge accomplishment," said Athletic Director Chris Kraftick. "This cannot be done without the support of our entire administration. Special thanks to President Cockrum, Dr. Young, and Dr. Jackson, who help provide the resources and support for our Athletic Department to accomplish great things!"

This season was historic for the Patriots as they had 19 teams post top-10 finishes in their respective sport, including 11 that notched a top-5 finish. Highlighting those top-ten finishes is the women's indoor track & field team that captured their first Red Banner in program history and scored 100 points towards the Directors' Cup. Additionally, UC had eight other teams that either set or tied their best national finish in program history.

The women's indoor track & field team is UC's second women's team to win a NAIA championship. The Patriots tallied 14 NAIA All-Americans and captured the 2025 MSC Indoor Track & Field Championship.  Cumberlands women's cross country notched their best finish in program history, placing sixth at the NAIA National Championships, while women's outdoor track & field posted a top-ten finish.

The Patriots notched a trio of national runner-up finishes, including a pair in the spring, which scored 90 points apiece.  Men's lacrosse, which is in its first year as a championship sport, reached the national title game for the first time in program history.  UC compiled a 13-5 record on the year and knocked off #6 Indiana Tech and #7 Madonna in the NAIA Tournament before earning a national runner-up finish.

Cumberlands women's lacrosse also notched a national runner-up finish after compiling a 17-4 record. They knocked off Reinhardt in the AAC Championship game to capture their first AAC Tournament title since 2018 before making a run in the national tournament that included a 15-14 win over top-seed Keiser in the national semifinals.

Cumberlands men's track & field tallied a runner-up finish at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championship, while the men's cross country team posted a third place finish at nationals. The Patriots recorded 21 NAIA All-Americans, while Youssef Asslouj (3k) and Luca Madeo (5k) each captured national titles. The cross country team placed third for the second consecutive season as Asslouj and Madeo notched All-American honors. UC finished sixth at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, capturing a pair of national titles (Luca Madeo, 10k & 4x400 relay).

Men's soccer notched 83 points after they reached the national semifinals for the first time in program history.  The Mid-South Conference tournament champions earned the fifth-seed for the NAIA National Tournament and opened tournament play defeating Rio Grande 2-1 in overtime. Cumberlands defeated rival and 12th-ranked Lindsey Wilson before taking down the defending NAIA champion MidAmerica Nazarene in penalty kicks 6-5 in the quarterfinals.  The Patriots closed out the year with a 15-3-3 record under first year head coach Paulo Neto. 

Women's wrestling capped off an incredible season with their highest finish at the NAIA National Championships, placing third to earn 85 points.  UC earned 116.5 points at the national championships with six wrestlers earning NAIA All-American honors.  MSC Freshman of the Year Katie Gomez was the national runner-up at 124, while Shammilka Miranda, Micah Fisher, MaQuoia Bernabe, Angelina Castaneda, and Alivia Ming were All-Americans.

Both UC men's swimming & diving & women's swimming & diving notched 80 points for their fourth place finishes at nationals.  It was the fourth straight top-five finish for the Patriots men's swimming team that notched 338.5 points during the championship.  The women's swimming & diving team compiled 346.5 points to place fourth at nationals. 

For the first time since 2003, the Patriots men's tennis team made a run into the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.  Cumberlands notched a 20-9 record on the season, including earning an at-large berth into the national tournament. UC opened with a 4-0 win over Tennessee Southern before making an epic comeback, rallying from down 3-0 to defeat #4 Our Lady of the Lake 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Cumberlands baseball team also produced an historic season with their best finish at the NAIA World Series. The Patriots captured the Mid-South Conference regular season title for the third consecutive season and went 3-0 in the NAIA Opening Round, including a pair of extra inning wins, to advance to the World Series for the third consecutive year.  UC posted wins over Grand View and Loyola to mark the first time that the Patriots tallied multiple wins at the World Series. 

Softball reached the NAIA World Series for the third straight season after an incredible year that including going undefeated in conference play.  The Patriots captured both the MSC regular season and tournament titles before winning the NAIA Opening Round Williamsburg Bracket to reach the World Series. 
 
The Patriots 1014 points surpasses the previous record of 985.5 points, which was set by Cumberlands last season.  Keiser finished second with 954 points, Indiana Wesleyan was in third with 889.25 points, while Marian and William Carey round out the top five.  The Mid-South Conference had four teams finish in the top-30 of standings as Lindsey Wilson (eighth), Cumberland (26^th), and Campbellsville (30^th) joined the Patriots.

This caps off an amazing year in Cumberlands Athletics that set new school records in a plethora of categories including All-Americans (176), All-Conference selections (354), NAIA Scholar Teams (27), Academic All-Conference selections (386), and conference titles (15).

The LEARFIELD Sports Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in 13 sports during their championships.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots, Instagram - @UCPatriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.
 
What People are Saying:

"Winning this award last year was an honor, but earning it again shows the incredible dedication and teamwork across our university. It embodies our #OneBigTeam spirit. This success wouldn't be possible without everyone—from faculty and grounds staff to coaches, trainers, and our student-athletes—giving their best each day. We're also grateful for the strong leadership of President Cockrum, President-elect Dr. Young, and Director of Athletics Chris Kraftick. Most of all, credit goes to our student-athletes for their relentless pursuit of excellence." – BJ Temple, Assistant Athletic Director
 
"Winning the Learfield Cup is an accomplishment that we are all proud of here at UC.  It is a testament to the commitment of our entire Cumberlands family- from Dr. Cockrum, his administration, our faculty & staff and especially Athletic Director Chris Kraftick.  He sets the tone for our pursuit of excellence.  I'm proud to stand beside a group of exceptional coaches and athletes who hold themselves to the highest standard- both in competition and in the classroom.  – Brad Shelton, Head Baseball Coach

"What an accomplishment for not only our department but the university as a whole! Thankful to be surrounded by amazing leaders who do everything they can to help UC Athletics succeed. We also couldn't have done it without our student-athletes. We appreciate all the hard work they put in on and off the field. We truly are #OneBigTeam!" – Christie Brewers, Assistant Athletic Director

"Being part of Cumberlands' capturing the Learfield Directors' Cup is an incredible honor. It's a testament to the dedication, unity, and drive of every team across our campus. What makes this year even more special is seeing our Women's Wrestling program contribute for the first time by taking third place at Nationals. It's more than a victory, it's a powerful reminder that we're all part of something bigger, and together, we're making history." – Sarah Allen, Head Women's Wrestling Coach

"Winning the Learfield Director's Cup two years in a row is a testament to the hard work and mentality of our university administration, coaches, and student-athletes." – Sam Lee, Assistant Athletic Director

"The culture and winning environment here at UC has made all of us head coaches strive to compete for championships- both at the conference and national level. I'm so proud to be apart of this department. We are so fortunate to be given the tools and resources to be successful and our leadership from our administration is unmatched." – Kelly Buikus, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, Senior Women's Leader

"Winning the Learfield Cup for the second year in a row says a lot about how much our University believes in and supports our athletic programs. Thanks to the leadership from Dr. Cockrum and the entire administration, we've had everything we need to compete—and succeed—at the national level.  Coach Kraftick and his team (BJ, Sam, Christie, Tommy, and Lana) have built a culture that's all about growth, pushing ourselves, and supporting one another through the ups and downs. – Matt Daniel, Head Men's Basketball Coach